Definition
Twitter Cards are Twitter (X)-specific meta tags that control the appearance of shared links on the platform. They define the card type (summary, summary_large_image, app, player), title, description, and image displayed. The most common tags are twitter:card, twitter:title, twitter:description, and twitter:image. If Twitter Card tags are missing, Twitter falls back to Open Graph tags. Twitter Cards increase engagement and clicks by making link-containing tweets more visual and informative.
Key Points
- Control link previews shared on Twitter (X)
- Card types: summary, summary_large_image, app, player
- Twitter uses Open Graph tags as fallback if Twitter Cards are absent
Practical Examples
Summary large image
The twitter:card='summary_large_image' card with a 1200x628 pixel image displays a large visual preview that attracts attention in the Twitter feed.
Open Graph fallback
A site with Open Graph tags but no Twitter Cards will still show a correct preview on Twitter, as the platform uses OG tags as fallback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not mandatory since Twitter uses Open Graph as fallback. However, Twitter Cards allow customizing the preview specifically for Twitter if you want a different title or description.
Use Twitter's Card Validator (cards-dev.twitter.com/validator) to preview your link and verify tags are correctly configured.
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Last updated: 2026-02-07